Cottonwood Heights families with students at Brighton High School will pay about $27 more per year in property taxes after the Canyons School District Board of Education voted 6-0 on Tuesday, Aug. 4, to approve a tax rate increase generating $6.87 million in new revenue, according to board meeting records.
The vote, taken at a Truth in Taxation hearing at the district offices in Sandy, caps a process we previewed Aug. 3. Board member Andrew Edtl made the motion; Jackson Lewis seconded it. Holly Neibaur-Hayes, Amber Shill, Katie Dahle and Karen Pedersen also voted yes. Amanda Oaks was absent.
It is only the fourth time in the district's history that the board has raised the certified tax rate.
Where the money goes
The $6.87 million splits two ways. About $2.37 million funds a 2.25% cost-of-living raise for all employees, including teachers, support staff and administrators. Under the negotiated agreement with the Canyons Education Association, starting teacher pay rises to $65,825 for the 2026-27 school year. Business Administrator Leon Wilcox noted at the board's June 16 budget hearing that starting pay has climbed from $50,000 in 2019-20, a 31.7% increase over seven years.
The remaining $4.5 million shifts from the debt service levy to the capital levy. For now, those dollars still pay down existing bonds. As debt retires over the next several years, the district plans to use the capital funds to renovate aging elementary schools. Canyons has 13 elementary buildings more than 50 years old.
What it means for your tax bill
On the average district home valued at $770,000, the "Canyons School District" line on the tax notice rises approximately $72. But the "Canyons School Debt Svce" line drops about $46, producing a net increase of roughly $27 per year, according to the district's tax impact schedule.
The district says it aims to complete the elementary renovations without a further rate increase.
Granite hearing set for Holladay families
Holladay families in the Granite School District, including those at Olympus and Skyline high schools, face a larger proposed increase. Granite is seeking about $21.1 million in new revenue, an 11.2% rate hike that would add roughly $125 per year to the average $579,000 home, according to the Salt Lake County tax notice.
Granite's Truth in Taxation hearing is Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 6 p.m. at district headquarters, 2500 S. State Street, Salt Lake City.
